Photographer Prevails in Twitter Copyright Suit — I’d like to point everyone to Creativity Tech, a new blog devoted to many of the same issues readers of this site would be interested in. In this post, the recent case involving photos posted to Twitter and then copied by AFP and the Washington Post without permission is examined, with a federal judge determining that such copying was infringement.

What I’d tell my own kids about piracy. Why scarcity is a good thing — David Newhoff offers another thoughtful piece on the cultural attitudes of the net generation. “It doesn’t matter that the sale for the producers of the tentpole is zero whether my kid watches it through a torrent or doesn’t see it at all; what matters is making the decision that if it isn’t worth paying for, it probably isn’t worth the equally valuable resources of time and attention. In short, it’s not only okay to let some things go, you don’t really have a choice.”

How to Stop Piracy: Carnegie Mellon Professor Michael Smith at DBW — Filesharing denialists continue to make their case despite all facts to the contrary. As Professor Smith points out, “while 3 studies have been published suggesting that piracy doesn’t hurt sales, 25 others have shown that piracy is bad for sales.” Smith also states that both legitimate online offerings and effective anti-piracy regulations are necessary to ensuring the public continues to benefit from the creative efforts of companies and individuals.

Declan McCullagh responds to last week’s CES panel — As reported here recently, last week’s copyright panel at the CES left much to be desired in terms of balance. McCullagh, who moderated the panel, mentioned as much on stage. The response was that anyone willing to present a different view of copyright had declined invitations to speak, but as it turns out, the CEA, which was in charge of the panel, had dropped the ball in making sure a balanced panel was presented.

The Silver Lining of the SOPA Debate — Some readers might recognize today as the one year anniversary of the SOPA blackout. Sandra Aistars from the Copyright Alliance offers her reflections.

2 Comments

Even though the tie to copyright is only incidental, I think the biggest copyright story of the week is Aaron Swartz’s tragic death. I disagree with much of his methods and beliefs, but his death hit me pretty hard (as it did many people). It’s a shame to lose anyone so passionate and so bright.

Every one of the representatives on that CES panel takes funding from Google. What a farce.

About

Copyhype provides news and info on current developments relating to copyright law, the media industries, and the digital economy. It cuts through the hype to bring reasoned discussion aimed at both legal and nonlegal audiences.

Terry Hart is currently Director of Legal Policy at the Copyright Alliance. Any opinions expressed on this site remain his own and not necessarily those of his present or any past employers.